How Safe is Airport WiFi? Tips to Avoid Getting Hacked

Most of us love taking advantage of the airport WiFi while waiting for flights. We are oblivious of the security situation of the network, but we often trust it. According to statistics, 53% of people cannot tell the difference between a secure or insecure public WiFi network. Such statistics show that most of us are usually at risk of being hacked even without knowing. It is important to understand that protection is needed whenever you are using public WiFi networks at the airport or any other place.

Here are some tips to avoid getting hacked.

1. Do not log in to sensitive services

While using public WiFi, never log into your bank accounts or email accounts. This is because of the high risk that exists should someone be hacking the network. When your sensitive information is exposed, you not only stand to lose financially, but you might also lose the sensitive data which can be used against you in the future. It is thus important to completely stay off any sensitive applications when using public WiFi.

2. Use a VPN

There are VPN services for mobile phone and laptop users which can help you make the network safer. Services offered by Express VPN cater to both smartphone and PC users. You can opt for such services as they are always with you regardless of where you go. VPN services help make public networks private. This is possible by redirecting all connections through a private server. Indeed, many people who are tech-savvy opt for VPN services for all their internet access needs. Not only does a VPN allow you to secure your connections, but it also unlocks all features that might be locked due to geographical restrictions.

3. Make sure you are connecting to the right network

Most public networks that are heavily used tend to attract attackers. One of the common tactics that hackers use is to create a replica network of a genuine network. When you sign up for the replica network, you end up exposing your data to the hackers.

In order to stay safe, you must always ensure that the network you are connecting to is not a spoof. You can do this by verifying with the providers that the details you are giving out are going to the right individuals.

4. Use your phone’s hotspot feature

Another way of removing the possibility of getting hacked is by taking advantage of your mobile phone’s hotspot feature. All smartphones in the market today come with the ability to share an internet connection with a number of devices. With a personal hotspot, you have the ability to avoid all the public WiFi connections whose safety is not guaranteed. Most times, you can also opt to rent a mobile hotspot especially when you are traveling. A mobile hotspot is one of the surest ways of removing all doubts about the connections around you.

5. Use your cellular data

Most people opt to go for public WiFis because they are free. When you have concerns about the safety of your data though, using the free networks is less than ideal. Instead, you can simply use your phone’s cellular data. Even though the phone data is usually somewhat expensive, the cost can be tolerated for short browsing sessions. One thing you can be sure of is that your cellular network is the safest option – it cannot be tapped or hacked by anyone.

6. Have antimalware or antivirus programs in your devices

Another key issue to consider is having an antivirus or antimalware program installed on your device. Such services are not just great for removing malicious programs but they are important to analyzing and reporting on the safety details of a network. With a proper antivirus program, you can be guaranteed of a safe browsing experience when using public WiFi at the airport. Most of the antivirus programs today are simple, easy to install apps which you can download from app stores.

Conclusion

Protecting your personal information is paramount to data security. The constant use of public WiFi facilities leaves your data at risk. You should consider putting in place measures to safeguard your data. The above tips give you some of the best methods you can use to keep your data safe whenever you are using a public network connection.

Related

Comments

Everyone is using public wi-fi these days because you can connect to the free internet pretty much anywhere, coffee shops, libraries, airports are just a small part of those places. Without Nordvpn or any other provider, it is impossible to keep your personal information secure. More about security and VPNs I suggest reading this article https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/